


'Till Our Final Breath

by ReeLeeV



Series: Rare Pairings Bingo 2017 [5]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, M/M, Monsta X Bingo, Superheroes, Villains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-01-06 21:25:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12219252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReeLeeV/pseuds/ReeLeeV
Summary: College friends turned enemies, just who will come out on top in this final battle?





	1. Chapter 1

Kihyun stares at his reflection in the mirror, the bags under his empty eyes… God, it’s been a long three years. But, it’ll finally end today.

“Hyung!” Changkyun’s voice calls on the other end of his bedroom door. “Hyung, are you ready? Everyone’s already outside.”

“Just a minute, Kkungie,” Kihyun replies. Changkyun hums in reply, and Kihyun waits until he hears the younger’s retreating footsteps before sighing heavily. He looks over to his immaculately-kept desk. He opens the nearest drawer to retrieve a miniature plastic baggy, and stares at its contents. Inside is a single, blue pill no bigger than the nail of his pinky.

So small for such an important task…

He sucks in a heavy breath through pursed lips, and slips the baggy in question into a small compartment in his suit atop his shoulder. He’s never thought of anything to put into such a small pocket, but now, he guesses, he’s finally done so. Though, granted, not for the reason he’d thought it’d be.

After taking one last, deep breath, Kihyun finally goes to face the mob outside.

 

“Who do you think will win today?”

“Do you have any new strategies for defeating him?”

“Are you willing to give your life for our city?”

“What do you have to say to all the nay-sayers out there?”

“Is there anything you want to say to the supporters of your nemesis?”

“While all these are great questions,” Kihyun says, holding up his hands to silence the reporters, “I’ll leave all comments until after the battle. I’d rather not say anything that could give my opponent the edge, after all.”

“So does that mean you’re worried?” a woman near the front asks mercilessly. Kihyun chuckles, though only in order to keep his annoyance at her persistence hidden from the crowd.

“I wouldn’t say that…” he says vaguely. A flurry of snaps go off as the photographers take pictures of his characteristically cocky smirk. His eyes squint ever so slightly against the flashes, but he doesn’t actually blink. He’s already decided to give them the best shots for this one last time.

 

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Jooheon asks, watching Minhyuk as he readies himself for the fight to end all fights. Minhyuk hums, not giving as committed of an answer as the younger would like. He raises a suspicious brow, but doesn’t say anything. On the small, cracked television in the corner of the room, Kihyun stands with a detestable smirk in front of the many reporters fawning over him.

He watches as Minhyuk grabs a small plastic baggy and shoves it into his pocket. He frowns at this, not liking how he doesn’t know what’s in said bag. But, he doesn’t question it. He doesn’t bother, since him asking about it for the past week hasn’t had any results. Minhyuk pauses as he goes to the door, eyes glued to the television for a moment too long. Jooheon’s frown only grows at this, unable to keep from feeling a bit territorial over his hyung.

Minhyuk’s expression grows tighter as he finally tears his eyes from the screen and glances around the small room he’s called home ever since he left school. He memorizes every corner, every shadow.

After all, this is the last time he’ll be seeing it, one way or another...

 

Kihyun awaits his opponent on the pre-designated field. There’s a crowd on the sidelines, behind the police tape that’s already been set up. Usually, these fights wouldn’t be so planned, so… so staged… But, that’s the whole point of today, to reach a public end once and for all.

He thinks back to when they had planned all this, to when they had finally figured a way out of this hellish existence.

 

“What do you want, Minhyuk-ah?” Kihyun had asked, visibly on-guard with his crossed arms and squared shoulders. It’d been so out of the blue to receive a message from the slightly-older. They hadn’t met anywhere off the battlefield ever since this whole mess started. Something, Kihyun would admit, that’s been a very hard change to deal with throughout the years.

“I have a way we can both get out of this mess,” Minhyuk sighed, leaning against the wall of the building next to him. They both had met in an alleyway that fateful day. Kihyun had raised a single brow in silent questioning, very much at a loss as to what the older would possibly recommend. Minhyuk had pulled a bottle out of his back pocket then, pressing his lips together as he had blinked a single eye, his telltale sign for when he’s thinking.

“What is that?” Kihyun said then, stepping forward in curiosity. Though, he’d remembered himself just in time and managed to keep a few feet between them, despite how much he’d wanted to kiss his same-age friend at the mere thought of an end finally coming to all this madness. It was then he’d spotted the label… that damned yet blessed label.

He’d pursed his lips upon recognizing the company name, and taken a step back. It was the name of one of Minhyuk’s “pharmaceutical” companies, aka one of the fronts he’d used for his drug cartel for the past year. Minhyuk’s gaze had narrowed at noting Kihyun’s movements. He’d expected this.

“It’s not what you think,” he’d quickly said. “ _This_ is what I’ve been working on the past few months, with Jooheonney’s help. It’s derived from delphinium, it can—”

“I’m well aware of what delphinium does, Minhyuk-ah,” Kihyun interrupted, “and I’m not interested in killing you. So, if you don’t mind—” He’d turned on his heel to leave, only for Minhyuk to grab tightly onto his wrist.

“Then how about a suicide pact?”

Kihyun had turned back then in disbelief, unsure if he’d heard correctly. He stared into Minhyuk’s earnest gaze, so utterly taken by how bright his eyes were in the darkness of the alley. His fingers had instinctively gripped onto Minhyuk’s, causing his heart to ache at how familiar and missed the feeling was.

 

The chorus of boos surrounding him bring him back to the present. He glances around, his gaze tightening at noticing Minhyuk gliding down onto the field. The slightly-older, amidst his amicable waves and laughs, blows Kihyun a flirtatious kiss. To the rest of the world, it looks like a taunt, but Kihyun catches the sincerity in his eyes.

Minhyuk gives Kihyun a minute nod, which the shorter returns.

A hush falls over the audience as the two squat in a readying position, and then fly towards each other for all it’s worth.

Kihyun can’t help but smile as Minhyuk allows him to land the first hit, his super-powered fist sending the taller flying across town.

This’ll be the best show the world has ever seen, and they won’t even know it.


	2. Chapter 2

Time passes differently in battle, any warrior will tell you that. Though, many differ on exactly  _how_. Some say incredibly fast, while others debate on how utterly  _slow_  everything becomes. 

For Minhyuk and Kihyun, it feels to be the latter. Much to Kihyun's dismay, as he'd been praying for this all to end quickly. Alas, his prayers aren't answered, as every hit they exchange seems to land against the other in slow-motion.

This kind of battle is a mindless game for Kihyun, as he acts purely on instinct. He ducks, maneuvers, and parries every attack with some block or another, and retaliates full-force. It allows his thoughts to wander, and wander they do, all those years back to when this first began for the two...

Minhyuk had changed so much throughout the years, had  _been_ changed by all the heartbreak and grief. He used to be so bright and caring, and, even though Kihyun would never have admitted it before the incident, he'd relied on his same-age friend more than any other.

"That idiot," Minhyuk had grumbled one early afternoon, stomping in exasperation on his way out the campus post office. Kihyun had hurried after him while doing his best to make it seem natural, sighing tiredly at his friend and roommate.

"It's fine, Minhyuk-ah," Kihyun had tried to console him. Minhyuk spun around then, his eyes alight with indignation.

"It's the complete opposite of fine!" he'd burst out. A couple passersby glanced their way as they scurry along, causing Minhyuk to sigh in defeat and sink onto the nearby bench which hung off the wall. Kihyun pursed his lips and sat beside him, petting his hair. Minhyuk had leaned into the touch, much like he would always do, and closed his eyes.

"We'll go see her tomorrow afternoon," Kihyun suggested, dropping an arm around Minhyuk's shoulders and pulling him close. "I'm sure it isn't as bad as the letter said... You know doctors always have to exaggerate to get most people to come in and see their loved ones, anyway. You'll see. Your mom will be just fine tomorrow." Minhyuk had released a small, dark chuckle, one so different from his usual intoxicating laughter.

"I hope you're right..."

Kihyun hummed under his breath, not giving an outright answer. What could he have said? That he's absolutely positive that it isn't the cancer eating away at her brain, but just a simple headache? A clot, maybe?

He would have if he could've done so without it sounding like such an obvious lie, but Minhyuk had always been able to see through his bullshit...

A genuine yelp of pain slips passed Kihyun's lips as Minhyuk lands a solid hit against his jaw, anchoring him back to the present. He's sent flying into the nearest street pole, knocking it clean out the pavement. Minhyuk swoops down and picks him up by the collar only to toss him into an alley, worry shining in his eyes.

"You okay?" he asks hurriedly in hushed tones, breathing heavily as he gingerly reaches towards Kihyun. Kihyun gives a small grunt in reply, setting a hand against the spot that's sure to bruise tomorrow as he moves around his jaw to make sure it isn't dislocated. He glances up after a quick assessment to see Minhyuk watching him with indescribable regret... a feeling he knows all too well.

He tries for a small smile, shoving his hair back with a small huff.

"I'll be better once this is all over," Kihyun finally says. Minhyuk visibly relaxes, letting out a shaky chuckle. 

"Well then," he says tiredly, "we'd better get back to the show..." Kihyun nods, stepping forward. He can't keep himself from stroking Minhyuk's cheek. The slightly-older's eyes flutter shut much like they used to back in the day, and Kihyun's heart almost stops at the familiar sight.

Guilt bites at his heart when he has to sucker-punch him immediately after...

Changkyun rushes around with the crowd on the sidelines of the battle, watching unblinkingly as his hyungs go at it like they never have before. It's when they disappear into a far-off alley, everyone scrambling to catch up, that he's knocked down by a reporter. He falls against the hot, cracked concrete with a small 'oof'. He grumbles out a curse at whatever hapless idiot had bumped into him, and sets a scraped-up hand against his own knee to stand.

Someone standing by him suddenly offers a hand, and he gratefully takes it. He puts on a smile to graciously thank who's just helped him, but it immediately falls at seeing who it is.

"Oh..." he mutters, taking a step back in surprise. Jooheon very obviously deflates at the reaction, his shoulders dropping and his gaze dimming a bit. "Um... thank you, hyung," he just manages to get out, feeling very awkward about calling the man such an intimate honorific. They haven't spoken since the great rift between Minhyuk and Kihyun back in school, having inadvertently taken sides after what had happened.

Jooheon mutters the barest minimum of replies, and shoves his hands into his pockets as he turns to follow the crowd. Changkyun presses his lips together, his heart falling as he watches the older walk away. 

God, what he wouldn't give for the past five years to have never happened...  

**Author's Note:**

> My fifth submission for the Rare Pairings Bingo for the Hero-Villain square~


End file.
